Purpose of Initiative: The overarching objective of the partnership is to facilitate better communication between scientists, policymakers, and other decision-makers so that scientific knowledge can more effectively inform public policy and private sector decisions relating to sustainability in developing countries.

To achieve this objective, the partners are organizing a series of "science in decision-making workshops" in developing countries on key issues of particular concern to the host country such as water and sanitation, persistent organic pollutants, and biodiversity. The workshops convene with representatives from host country and U.S. scientific institutions, government, industry, non-governmental organizations, academic institutions, and other relevant organizations. Crosscutting themes include monitoring and data evaluation; elements of good science advice; facilitating the flow of scientific information; and the roles of institutions that link scientists and decision-makers.

Workshop topics are proposed by science organizations in developing countries. A committee established by the U.S. National Academies reviews all proposals and provides general oversight for the series. Each workshop is designed by a pair of co-chairs - one from the respective developing country and one from the United States - in collaboration with the U.S. National Academies and one or more science organizations from the developing country. Proposals are still being accepted and can be submitted through developing countries' national science academies, the InterAcademy Panel, and the Third World Academy of Sciences. More information can be found at: www.nationalacademies.org/sustainability/type2

Partners: Governments: United States (Environmental Protection Agency); China (State Environmental Protection Agency); International Organizations: Third World Academy of Sciences, InterAcademy Panel; Mexican Academy of Sciences; Chinese Academy of Sciences; Brazilian Academy of Sciences; Chinese Scientific Committee on Problems of the Environment (SCOPE); Civil Society : U.S. National Academies, National Council for Science and the Environment, H. John Heinz Center for Science, Economics, and the Environment; Private Sector: American Chemistry Council.

Partnership Targets:

• Foster improved understanding of the relevant science and decision-making processes including national and local policy, industrial design and planning, and public choices;
• Establish a dialogue in which policymakers use science to form their decisions and scientists consider the needs of policymakers in their choice of research questions;
• Identify gaps between the needs of decision-makers and scientific research priorities and strategies for bridging these gaps, including ways to increase the professional connection between scientists and decision-makers; and
• Share workshop results with a broader audience of scientists and decision-makers in the host country and internationally, via summaries and briefings.

Progress Toward Targets: In February 2004 the partnership held its first workshop, "Strengthening Science-Based Decision-Making for Sustainable Management of Ground Water in Mexico," in Mérida, Mexico. The workshop, which drew over 25 participants, included Mexican and American scientists, federal and state government decision-makers, and representatives from civil society, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and the private sector. Through presentations and discussions, workshop participants learned about the:

• Quality and availability of water resources in the face of continued population and economic growth;
• Importance of ground water for domestic consumption and use by industry and agriculture in the Yucatan peninsula;
• Economic and public health risks that can result from failure to effectively manage ground water quality; and
• Opportunities to improve the stewardship of ground water resources in the Yucatan and the rest of Mexico with the aid of science.

The workshop contributed to the Mexican Government's decision to approve funding for the Center for Studies on Water (Centro de Estudios del Agua), which is being established in 2004 and is based in Cancun, on the Yucatan Peninsula. The Center will conduct research on the hydrogeology of the Yucatan peninsula and will perform some studies of the water quality in the region. In addition, workshop participants have suggested research directions and are acting as a network to disseminate information about research opportunities at the Center. Workshop participants are developing dissemination strategies for a workshop report to be published in fall, 2004. Participants will help distribute the workshop report to relevant audiences. Civil Society representatives who participated in the workshop are now funding the research of several scientists who participated in the meeting to improve the scientific understanding of the groundwater regime in the Yucatan. They hope to use results of this research to inform water management decisions in the region.

A second workshop, "Strengthening Science-Based Decision Making to Reduce Risks from Persistent Organic Pollutants," was held June 8-10, 2004, in Beijing, China. This workshop drew about 50 decision-makers from various relevant federal agencies in China and from the U.S. Government, Chinese and American scientists, businesses, and civil society representatives. Through presentations and discussions, participants exchanged views regarding:

• Sources of scientific information necessary to make informed decisions about achieving Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) risk reduction;
• Scientifically informed strategies for preventing POPs emissions;
• Elements of good scientific advice, such as transparency, peer review, and disclosure of conflicts of interest; and
• Information that decision-makers addressing POPs need from the scientific community, including next steps to make such science available and ensure its use on a continuing basis.

Workshop participants gained a broader understanding of the environmental and health impacts of POPs and the provisions of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (for background on the Stockholm Convention, see http://www.pops.int/) and specific implementation issues facing China. By involving stakeholders from different sectors, many of whom had not yet met, the workshop improved communication among some of the key groups that will be involved in phasing out POPs and fostered better appreciation of the roles of social organizations in China (who play a role similar to NGOs) and industry.

Next Steps: The report on the workshop in Mexico should be published in fall 2004 in English and Spanish, and will be available to the public at no cost via the Internet at www.nap.edu. An abbreviated summary in Spanish will also be provided for decision-makers in Mexico. The workshop co-chair is now collaborating with staff of the U.S. National Academies to create a research unit at the Mexican Academy of Sciences that will address a variety of scientific issues related to water. The 4^th World Water Forum will take place in Mexico City in 2006. Several meeting participants plan to share the workshop summary with relevant parties to encourage greater attention to groundwater resources both within Mexico and at the World Water Forum.

At the workshop in China, several next steps were identified, including increased exchange of information and personnel between China and the United States; a series of smaller training workshops in China on specific chemicals, their alternatives, and risk analysis tools; and a virtual research center on POPs. U.S. and China participants are now discussing the exchange of information among laboratories and development of a workshop series focusing largely on steps industry can take to meet treaty requirements in China.

Workshop proposals are accepted from well-established scientific organizations in developing countries. To submit a proposal, please contact Laura Holliday at 202-334-1407 or lholliday@nas.edu.

Resources: The EPA and American Chemistry Council (ACC) have pledged to support the partnership's first three workshops. Discussions are now underway to plan the third workshop, which will likely take place in Brazil and focus on strengthening science-based decision-making for natural resource management. To date, the EPA has provided $260,000 and the ACC has provided $85,000. Other partners have organized the workshops or provided input regarding potential workshop topics and participants. New partners and additional funding are being sought in order to expand the series beyond the initial set of workshops.

U.S. Government Primary Point of Contact: Environmental Protection Agency: Diana Bauer (Phone: 202-343-9759; E-mail: Bauer.Diana@epa.gov).

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